FAQ

1. What is Recreation Therapy (RT)?

Recreation therapy, also known as therapeutic recreation, is a systematic process that utilizes recreation and other activity based interventions that are based upon the assessed needs of the individuals with illnesses and/or disabling conditions. The purpose of the RT process is to improve or maintain physical, cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual functioning in order to facilitate full participation in life.

In our rapidly changing society, recreation therapy has been designated as one of the fastest growing health care and human service occupations in the country.

2. What entities recognize Recreation Therapy?

RT is a recognized health care provider by major accrediting bodies. The Joint Commission on Accreditation includes RT in inpatient and outpatient settings as standard treatment in physical rehabilitation, behavioral health; hospital based services, home health care, psychiatric rehabilitation, ambulatory services, substance abuse treatment, long term care, and assisted living facilities. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) includes recreational therapy in the mix of treatment and rehabilitation services in skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and long-term care facilities. The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) identifies recreational therapists in their Medical Rehabilitation Standards, Behavioral Health Standards, and the Adult Day and Assisted Living Standards. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) includes recreation therapy as a related service for school and extended school year based interventions.

National Commission for Certifying Agencies accredits The National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) and the Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) credential. In addition, the California Board of Recreation and Park Certification (CBRPC) recognizes recreation therapists and Recreation Therapist Certified (RTC) credential.

3. What is the national and state presence of recreation therapists?

Recreation therapists held approximately 23,300 jobs in the United States during the year 2008. Most therapists are employed in hospital or personal care facilities but a growing number are being hired in residential facilities, community mental health centers, adult day care programs, substance abuse centers, hospice care, and community centers and in school systems. According to the U.S. Department of Labor rapid employment growth of therapists is expected in assisted living, outpatient physical and psychiatric rehabilitation and services for individuals with disabling conditions. In California, there are 1,500 Recreation Therapists. There are approximately 700 CTRS’s, 452 RTC’s, and 160 that hold dual certification.

4. What is licensure of recreation therapy?

Licensure provides both job and title protection that is mandated by law. Recreation Therapists will be required to be licensed in order to practice Recreation Therapy in the State of California. Licensure of Recreation Therapy will ensure that the best and safest services are being provided to the consumer by professionals who have attained the appropriate training required for a Recreation Therapist.

5. Why is licensure important for recreation therapy?

Licensure is essential to regulate the recreation therapy professionals in the state to assure that the services provided are effective and of a quality consistent with the standard of care within the profession and to safeguard the public against harm, which may be caused by unqualified, impaired, or unlicensed practitioners.

6. How does licensure differ from certification?

Certification is a voluntary process for the professional and the organization at which the professional is employed. Licensure is mandatory for the professional to practice Recreation Therapy for any organization offering Recreation Therapy services. In addition, organizations are mandated to hire only licensed Recreation Therapists to provide Recreation Therapy services.

7. Why is California considering licensure for recreation therapy? What other states have licensure for Recreation Therapy?

California State facilities and other facilities in the state have abused the title of Recreation Therapist in their hiring practices. Licensure would stop this practice. Licensure assures people trained in RT are providing RT and legitimizes the field by holding professionals accountable. Licensure strengthens access to third party payments and entitlements thus providing clients more access to RT services and increasing the visibility of RT as a profession that protects clients from harm.

Some Recreation Therapists have been working on licensure for RT for years. California has the potential and the assistance through California Parks and Recreation Society (CPRS), California Board of Recreation and Park Certification (CBRPC), American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA), and the National Council on Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) to help follow through with licensure. Utah, North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma currently have licensure and are willing to assist the task force with the successful steps they took to obtain licensure. Ten other states are currently in the process of seeking licensure.

8. How will licensure benefit consumers, Recreation Therapists, and the RT profession?

Licensure will benefit consumers, Recreation Therapists, and the RT profession tremendously in many different ways.

The primary purpose of licensure is to protect consumers, ensuring that they will receive quality Recreation Therapy services. For consumers, licensure will guarantee that only qualified professionals will provide Recreation Therapy services. Licensure also strengthens access to third party payments and entitlements, which provides consumers with more access to RT services

For Recreation Therapists, licensure requires that organizations provide legitimate Recreation Therapy services by qualified professionals if they claim to offer RT services. In other words, when we see a job advertisement for a “Recreation Therapist ,” we can be sure that we will be expected to provide Recreation Therapy. In addition, organizations will need to offer appropriate wages for Recreation Therapists due to the services they are requesting we provide.

Licensure legitimizes our profession by holding us just as accountable as other professions, consequently increasing respect and visibility of RT as a profession. It will also define the scope of practice for Recreation Therapy, eliminating any confusion of our duties as Recreation Therapists.

10. Will California’s current Recreation Therapists be grandfathered into licensure?

Yes, current Recreation Therapists holding either state certification with CBRPC and/or national certification with NCTRC will be grandfathered into licensure.

11. What will be the cost of licensure to an individual?

There will be an initial registration fee and then an annual fee. Exact amounts have not been determined at this time.

12. What will be the cost of licensure to the state of California?

The cost of the program will include the administration of the licensure process, disciplinary actions (hearing), and a mechanism to check on the validity of licenses. Representatives from other states that currently have Recreation Therapy licensure confirmed that their licensure processes are cost neutral. California Recreation Therapy Licensure process will model these existing successful licensure programs in setting a fee structure to result in a cost neutral process.

13. Would an individual need to maintain CEU’s? If so, how many?

Yes, all individuals wishing to maintain a current license will be expected to obtain CEU’s. The exact amount of CEU’s has not been determined at this time.

14. How can I help with the licensure process?

Contact the CPRS Licensure Task Force Chair Laura McLachlin at lmclachlin@csuchico.edu or 530-514-5217.

15. How can I get additional information regarding recreational therapy practice?

Information about the professional practice of Recreation Therapy may be obtained at

www.atra-tr.org, www.nctrc.org, or www.cbrpc.org, www.recreationtherapy.com/